Support arrangement for a turbomachine

ABSTRACT

A support arrangement for a turbo-machine having its casing divided in a substantially horizontal plane into upper and lower parts on which are provided claw members having abutment surfaces facing the divider plane. The claw members bear on casing supports anchored in the foundation, and tiltable discs biased by disphragm springs are interposed between the abutment surface of a claw on the lower casing part and a stressing bar rigidly mounted on the associated casing support.

United States Patent [191 Bellati [451 Aug. 14,1973

1 1 SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT FOR A TURBOMACHINE [75] Inventor:

Cle, Baden, Switzerland [22] Filed: Mar. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 232,421

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 11, 1971 Switzerland 3690/71 [52] US. Cl. 248/19, 415/219 R [51] Int. Cl. F0ld 1/00, F16f15/00 [58] Field of Search 248/D1G. 1, 19, 20,

[56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,968 7/1928 Allen 248/19 X Hans Bellati, Wettingen, Switzerland 1 [73] Assigneez Aktiengesellschalt Brown, Boveri &

1,682,317 8/1928 Allen 248/19 3,533,710 10/1970 Haug 415/219 R X 3,630,635 9/1970 Fatum 415/219 R Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attomey-Ralph E. Parker et al.

Castiglia 85750 R x 3 Claims, 3 Drawing g res PATENIED AUG l4 I915 SHEET 1 [IF 2 H 3 2 m 8 BH/ .N

cab/52.421

PATENTED AUG 14 I975 SHEET 2 BF 2 SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT FOR A TURBOMACHINE This invention relates to a support arrangement for a turbo-machine having a casing, divided in a substantially horizontal plane, the arrangement comprising claw members on the upper and lower parts of said casing having abutment surfaces facing said plane and bearing on casing supports anchored in the foundations.

The prior art discloses turbo-machines having casings between the'claw and the support is ensured and instawhich bear movably by means of claws on a foundation or on bearing pedestals in order to compensate for thermal expansion of the casing. The weight of the turbo-machine is generally sufficient at least to compensate for the force derived from the torque of the turbine and tending to raise the claws and it is therefore generally possible to prevent the claws lifting from the abutment surface of the bearing and ensure permanent support. However, increasing unit ratings of turbines, particularly steam turbines, results in an increaseof the torque so that the restoring torque derived from, the turbine weight may no longer be sufficient to ensure that the claws continue to bear reliably and permanently on the supports.

Solutions to the above problem have been proposed according to which the claws are provided on the upper and lower part of the casing and the parting plane is selected as a contact surface for both claws so that the claw disposed on the underpart also functions on the support as a counter-support for the claw disposed on the upper'part and the casing is thus stressed against the direction of gravitational force. With this arrangement all turbine torques are absorbed by the support, but a clearance, determined by installation conditions, must be provided between the support and the claw and thermal expansion differences must also be taken I are additively super-imposed on the torque may substantially increase the lifting force in an unfavourable case so that reliable support can no longer be ensured.

The casing of the turbine remains in an unstable state and frequent load changes or vibrations may result in damage which endangers the casing and the anchoring of the turbine in the foundation.

The present invention provides a support arrangement for a turbo-machine having a casing divided in a substantially horizontal plane, comprising claw members on the upper and lower parts of said casing, the claw members having the abutment surfaces facing said substantially horizontal plane and bearing on casing supports anchored in foundations wherein tilting discs biased by diaphragm springs are interposed between the abutment surface of a claw of the lower casing part and a stressing bar rigidly mounted on a casing support.

A guide bolt may be provided on the tilting discs, said guide bolt being associated with a vibration damper disposed on the stressing bar.

An arrangement according to the invention, has thev advantage that the support means for the claws are adjustable and are resiliently constructed. When the casing is in a state akin to vibration or is subject to a lifting force on one side, permanent non-positive connection bility of the system is substantially avoided.

Furthermore, it is possible to avoid wear on the claws and when a vibration damper is included, it is possible to protect the turbine casing from the effects-of frequent load changes.

The invention will now be described by way of anexample with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

FIG. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a support arrange-ment for a steam turbine casing,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the support arrangement, and

FIG. 3 is a vertical section showing details of one of the claws.

In FIG. 1, a claw l of an upper part 7 of a steam turbine casing 8 bears on a support 9 through an interposed sliding disc 10.

The claw 1 is disposed in the vicinity of a casing flange ll andis laterally offset to a claw 2, mounted on aflange 12 of the lower part of the turbine, casing 8, and extending into a recess 13 of the support 9. The support9 is attached by means of tie bolts 14 to a foundation l5, with wedges 16 being provided for centering purposes. A bearing l7'of the'steam turbine shaft is shown as being integral with the support 9 but could also be separate therefrom and be mounted on'a separate bearing pedestal.

The claw 2 of the lower part of the turbine casing is fixed in the horizontal position by means of a stressing bar 3, bridging the recess 13, the stressing bar 3 being provided with stressing bolts 18 which locate the bar on the support 9. i

FIG. 3 shows the stressing bar 3, mounted by means of the stressing bolts 18 on the support 9, on an enlarged scale. The claw 2, associated with the lower part of the turbine casing 8, is disposed on the recess 13 of the support 9 and is adjusted in the cold state to have a clearance 8 between the stressing bar 3 and the abutment surface 2a of the claw 2. Two tiltable discs 4 and 5 having conically chamfered surfaces which roll against one another are provided in a recess of the stressing bar 3, diaphragm springs. 19, which areprestressed, being disposed between the tiltable disc 4 and the stressing bar 3. A guide bolt 6, associated with a conventional vibration damper not shown, is disposed on one tilting disc, preferably disc 4' which is closest to the stressing bar 3. Accordingly, vibrations on the support resulting from operation of the turbine are either completely suppressed or are attenuated at least to the extent whereby any harmful effects on the claw supports are substantially eliminated.

The tiltable discs 4, 5 are constructed as annular cylindrical discs, one side of the cross-section being progressively chamfered relative to the circumference. The chamfering on the tiltable discs maybe replaced by other shapes, for example by a lenticular or spherical construction of the cross-sectional surfaces of the components which roll upon each other.

I claim:

l. A support arrangement for a turbo-machine having a casing divided in a substantially horizontal plane, comprising claw members on the upper and lower parts of said casing, said claw members having abutment surfaces facing said substantially horizontal plane and bearing on casing supports anchored in foundations, and tiltable discs biased by diaphragm springs inter posed between the abutment surface of a claw of the on the stressing bar.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiltable discs have substantially conical chamfered contacting surfaces. 7 

1. A support arrangement for a turbo-machine having a casing divided in a substantially horizontal plane, comprising claw members on the upper and lower parts of said casing, said claw members having abutment surfaces facing said substantially horizontal plane and bearing on casing supports anchored in foundations, and tiltable discs biased by diaphragm springs interposed between the abutment surface of a claw of the lower casing part and a stressing bar rigidly mounted on a casing support.
 2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide bolt is provided on the tiltable discs said guide bolt being associated with a vibration damper disposed on the stressing bar.
 3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tiltable discs have substantially conical chamfered contacting surfaces. 